Morgan out for three months

Whatever England's grip on India at present, their plans for the one-day tour of the country were severely disturbed last night. Eoin Morgan will need surgery on a right shoulder injury which will prevent him playing for 12 weeks.

England have learned to cope with injuries but Morgan's spark of genius, his innate ability to make something from nothing, would have been extremely helpful on the Indian pitches, where England will play five one-day internationals next month.

It means that any suggestion of overlooking Kevin Pietersen for the trip can be forgotten unless the selectors are prepared to take a risk they will regret. Pietersen's improvised hitting in the middle order will be as needed as ever.

Morgan first sustained his shoulder injury on the tour of Australia, and it recurred late last month, initially ruling him out of the present one-day series. England's chief medical officer, Nick Peirce, said: "After seeing a specialist it has been confirmed that Eoin will require surgery to his right shoulder with the likelihood of repairing a chronic SLAP lesion. We have managed the injury with a conservative programme but Eoin has now reached the stage where surgery is the most appropriate progression of his treatment."